Report: Ann Arbor coffee shop chain to close after baristas unionize

Mighty Good Coffee Cafe at 217 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor.(Photo: Google Maps)

A chain of four coffee shops in Ann Arbor is expected to close and lay off its newly unionized baristas, according to a news report by WXYZ-TV.

Baristas at Mighty Good Coffee say they expected to negotiate a contract with the company after they formed the Washtenaw Area Coffee Workers Association in October after a former employee accused the chain of racial discrimination. Instead, they received a notice a week ago about the layoffs and closures, according to WXYZ.

The association's members protested outside one of the shops on Tuesday.

The four locations — Main Street, South University, Jefferson and Arbor Hills — are anticipated to close April 19, May 5, June 15 and Aug. 31, respectively.

An employee at one of the shops told the Free Press that the owner was not available. An email sent to Mighty Good Coffee management went unanswered. The company's website does not mention closures.

The company's lawyer could not be reached.

A letter, obtained by WXYZ, that was sent to the union stated that the owners felt the experience of running the business was "overly stressful" and became an "unworkable burden on their relationship and their family."

The union filed an unfair labor relations charge on April 8 through the National Labor Relations Board. According to NLRB, the union accused Mighty Good Coffee of "repudiation/modification of contract."

According to WXYZ, non-union employees are anticipated to still work on the roasting operation of the business.